1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to apparatus for protecting the work of an artist as the work is being performed on canvas. More specifically, the present invention pertains to apparatus for positioning across the work of an artist to protect the work from the artist's working hand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various devices have been developed for protecting the work of an artist as the work is being performed on canvas. Specifically, these devices are designed to protect wet paint or other artist mediums from the artist's working hand as the work is being performed on the canvas. Several of these devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,496,276; 3,101,568; 3,768,764; 3,815,856; 3,972,133 and 4,088,290. Most of these devices provide some kind of rod or stick, commonly called a maulstick, which may be positioned across the artist's work to prevent the artist's working hand from accidently engaging and disturbing the artist's work.
Some of these rods or maulsticks are attachable at both ends thereof to the frame of the canvas on which the work is being performed. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,496,276 and 4,088,290. This usually means that some type of attaching element or clamp must be disengaged each time it is necessary to reposition the maulstick. This is time consumming and sometimes quite cumbersome. Furthermore, each time a device such as this is disengaged, there is a possibility that the maulstick might accidently contact and disturb the work.
In other devices, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,815,856 and 3,972,133, a maulstick is supported at one end by some sort of support attached to the canvas frame. The other end is supported by the artist's nonworking hand. However, these devices usually require disengagement of the maulstick at the supported end for repositioning. Furthermore, once disengaged or free from the support member, maulsticks in these devices may be misplaced or lost.
As can be seen, a number of solutions to the problem of protecting an artist's work have been attempted in these devices. However, a totally satisfactory solution is not found in the prior art.